Broadbent Coat of Arms Meaning

The four main devices (symbols) in the Broadbent blazon are the fesse wavy, per pale, staff and pheon. The three main tinctures (colors) are gules, ermine and azure .

The bold red colour on a heraldic shield is known as gules. It has a long history within heraldry, it is known that one of those who besieged the scottish castle of Carlaverock in 1300 was the French knight Euremions de la Brette who had as his arms a simple red shield.1The Siege of Carlaverock, N. Harris, Nichols & Son, London, 1828, P180. The word gules is thought to come from the Arabic gule, or “red rose” 2Boutell’s Heraldry, J.P. Brooke-Little, Warne, (revised Edition) London 1970, P 313. Later writers associated it with the precious stone ruby and the metal iron3Understanding Signs & Symbols – Heraldry, S. Oliver & G. Croton, Quantum, London, 2013, P53, perhaps because of the red glow of iron in the heat of the blacksmith’s forge.

Ermine is a very ancient pattern, and distinctive to observe. It was borne alone by John de Monfort, the Earl of Richmond and Duke of Brittany in the late 14th century 4A Complete Guide to Heraldry, A.C. Fox-Davies, Bonanza (re-print of 1909 Edition), New York, 1978, P69 It has a long association with royalty and the nobility in general and hence represents “Dignity” wherever it is found 5The Symbolisms of Heraldry, W. Cecil Wade, George Redway, London, 1898 P39. The ermine pattern is white with, typically, a three dots and a dart grouping representing the tail of the furred creature.6Boutell’s Heraldry, J.P. Brooke-Little, Warne, (revised Edition) London 1970, P 28. The ermine spot is sometimes found alone as a special charge on the shield.

Azure is the heraldic colour blue, usually quite a deep, dark shade of the colour (there is a lighter blue that sometimes occurs, known as celestial azure). If colour printing is not available then it can be represented by closely spaced horizontal lines in a scheme known as “hatching” 7Boutell’s Heraldry, J.P. Brooke-Little, Warne, (revised Edition) London 1970, P 26. The word is thought to originate from the Arabic lazura and it represents the colour of the eastern sky. It is also said to be the colour associated by the Catholic Church with the Virgin Mary and hence of particular significance 8The Symbolisms of Heraldry, W. Cecil Wade, George Redway, London, 1898 P150.

The fesse is a broad horizontal band across the centre of the shield, in very ancient times it was said to occupy one third of the area height of the shield 9A Complete Guide to Heraldry, A.C. Fox-Davies, Bonanza (re-print of 1909 Edition), New York, 1978, P117, however it soon became somewhat narrower. This created an opportunity to add decorative edging to the band, of many forms, and to very pleasing artisitic effect, at least close up – it must be admitted that at distance some of the forms are hard to distinguish! The decorative edge pattern Wavy, sometimes written as undy is, for obvious reasons, associated with both water and the sea 10The Symbolisms of Heraldry, W. Cecil Wade, George Redway, London, 1898 P40. Indeed, a roundel with alternating bars of azure and argent (blue and white) is known by the shorthand term fountain, representing water at the bottom of a well 11A Glossary of Terms used in British Heraldry, J.H. Parker, Oxford, 1894, Entry:Water. Other colours have also been used and the result can be very pleasing to the eye.

The background of the shield can be divided into two potrtions in a variety of ways, and each portion treated differently. In the heraldry of continental Europe there is a tendency to use these areas to combine two different designs, but in British and Scottish heraldry the preference is to treat the divided field as a single decorative element with other features placed as normal. Whatever tradition is followed, one of the most common divisions is per pale, a simple separation along a vertical line. Wade assigns no particular meaning to the use of this division, but suggests that they simply arose from the multi-coloured garments typically worn at the time of the birth of heraldry. 12The Symbolisms of Heraldry, W. Cecil Wade, George Redway, London, 1898 P56

The staff raguly or ragged staff frequently occurs in heraldry and is intended to show a rough-hewn branch for use as a walking aid or club, and sometimes appear in flame at the top. 13A Glossary of Terms used in British Heraldry, J.H. Parker, Oxford, 1894, Entry:Staff Famously, a ragged staff appears with a bear in the arms associated with the family and county of Warwick in England. 14A Complete Guide to Heraldry, A.C. Fox-Davies, Bonanza (re-print of 1909 Edition), New York, 1978, P458Other uses of the staff, such as pilgrim’s staff must be described as such, otherwise the ragged staff will probably be assumed.

Origin, Meaning and Family History of the Broadbent Name

Broadbent Origin:

England

Origins of Broadbent:

This unusual surname, with different spelling forms like Brodbent, is mostly listed in the Yorkshire parish records from the middle of the 16th Century. It is of a geographical origin from an area near Oldham in South East Lancashire named as Broadbent. The combined components of the area name are from the old English pre 7th Century word “brad,” which means wide or stretched, and “beonet,” which means “bent grass,” “hurry, stream” or “sticks.” In April 1548, Agnes Brodbent and Robert Haldam married in Rotherham, Yorkshire and in June of that year, Thomas Broadbent married an Agnes Smyth in Halifax. One, Lawrence Bradbent of Balliol College, Oxford, recorded in the “Oxford University Records” in 1570, and in 1590 Alice Broadbent of Saddleworth, “spinster,” listed in “Wills records at Chester.” The wedding of John Broadbent and Mary Hopkins held in Ashton under Lyne by Manchester, in July 1659.

Variations:

England:

The origins of the surname Broadbent were found in Lancashire where people held a family seat from early times. Some say before the invasion of Normans and the entrance of Duke William at Hastings1066 A.D.

The very first recorded spelling of the family was shown to be that of Robert Brodebent, dated about 1513, in the “record of the Freeman of York city.” It was during the time of King Henry VIII who was known to be the “Bluff King Hal,” dated 1509-1547.

Ireland:

Many of the people with the surname Broadbent had moved to Ireland during the 17th century.

United States of America:

Individuals with the surname Broadbent settled in the United States in three different centuries respectively in the 18th, and 19th. Some of the people with the surname Broadbent who settled in the United States in the 18th century included Sarah Broadbent would eventually settle in Virginia in the same year 1701. William Broadbent arrived in Charles Town, South Carolina in 1718. Richard Broadbent landed in New England in 1774.

The following century saw much more Broadbent surnames arrive. Some of the people with the surname Broadbent who settled in the United States in the 19th century included Thomas Broadbent; all would eventually settle in Virginia in the same year 1862. John Broadbent and Joseph Broadbent, both arrived in Philadelphia respectively in the years 1805 and 1820.

Australia:

Some of the people with the surname Broadbent who settled in Australia in the 19th century included Luke Broadbent at the age of 45, Harriet Broadbent at the age of 39, Henry Broadbent at the age of 11, James Broadbent at the age of 9 and John Broadbent at the age of 7, all arrived in Kangaroo Island aboard the ship “Buffalo” in the same year 1836.

New-Zealand:

Some of the people with the surname Broadbent who settled in New Zealand in the 19th century included J Broadbent arrived in Auckland, New-Zealand in 1840. C W Broadbent landed in Auckland, New-Zealand in the year 1841. W Broadbent came to Wellington, New-Zealand in 1840.

Here is the population distribution of the last name Broadbent: United States 4,333; England 6,872; Australia; Canada 819; South Africa 621; Scotland 243; Wales 113; New-Zealand 457; Spain 66, France 98.

Notable People:

Alan Broadbent (born 1947), was born in New Zealand. He was a jazz pianist.

Donald Broadbent (1926–1993), was an English expert in psychology.

Ed Broadbent (born 1936), was a Canadian leader.

Edmund Hamer Broadbent (1861-1945), was an English leader and writer of The Pilgrim parish.

Gary Broadbent was an English player in Rugby.

George Robert Broadbent (1863–1947), was an Australian cyclist and mapmaker.

John Broadbent (1872-1938), was a British Army commander and old leader.

John Raymond Broadbent (Quartermaster) (1893–1972), Australian Army Brigadier

Matthew Broadbent (born 1990), was an Australian rules football player.

Michael Broadbent (born 1927), was an English justice and merchant.

Paul Broadbent was an English player in rugby league.

Peter Broadbent (bishop) is the new Anglican priest of Willesden.

Peter Broadbent (footballer) (1933–2013), was an English football player.

Punch Broadbent (1892–1971), was a Canadian player in ice hockey.

Russell Broadbent (born 1950), was an Australian leader.

William Broadbent, 1st Baronet (1835–1907), was an English neurologist.

Broadbent Family Gift Ideas

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The term family crest is a misnomer. For the most part, arms belonged to individuals and not families or surnames. Purchasing products featuring these arms does not entitle you to claim the arms as your own.